Demand generation is not a contact-volume contest
A B2B company can collect form fills without generating qualified sales opportunities. The right partner needs to understand deal economics, long buying cycles, multiple decision makers and how marketing actually helps buying groups make progress. Start with the pipeline problem, not a channel wish list.
Three buyer scenarios
Technical SaaS: product depth, specialist content and CRM integration may be essential. Industrial business across markets: localisation, expert perspectives and sales enablement may matter more. Professional services: trust and qualification can be stronger priorities than volume.
Ask for a practical buying-group model
Have candidates distinguish account-level ICP from individual personas. How will they handle several stakeholders, different objections and changing signals of buying intent? A credible approach explains where content and outreach contribute to an informed decision rather than treating every downloaded PDF as purchase intent.
Align sales definitions before choosing metrics
Agree what an accepted lead, an opportunity and a qualified pipeline stage mean in your CRM. Clarify ownership of data quality and how attribution limitations are disclosed. Request an example report separating activity, contribution and actual commercial outcomes.
Evaluate the real delivery team
Who performs research, subject-matter interviews, content, media buying, marketing automation and measurement? Can the team work effectively with your sales and product specialists? How do they avoid shallow copy about complex offerings? Relevant operational B2B experience matters more than a flashy pitch.
Understand the full cost of delivery
Separate strategy, setup, content production, media spend, software, data services, CRM work and ongoing analysis. Make internal requirements explicit. A modest agency retainer can still demand substantial time from sales, subject-matter experts and marketing operations.
Red flags in a proposal
Treat guaranteed qualified pipeline counts without agreed definitions, unclear data handling, agency-owned accounts and click-only reporting with caution. Question channel recommendations made before the vendor understands how your customers buy.
What a first 90-day plan should cover
Look for ICP validation, baseline data, sales-stage agreement, prioritised tests, editorial planning, feedback and decision points. Ask what would cause the approach to change. Use our agency RFP template and the measurement agency guide for attribution-heavy briefs.
